Identifying Wire and Cable – Powerplant Electrical Systems

To assist in maintenance, testing and repair operations, many installers mark wire or cable with a combination of letters and numbers that identify the wire, the circuit it belongs to, the gauge number, and other information necessary to relate the wire or cable to a wiring diagram. These markings are known as the identification code or cable ident.

Each manufacturer normally develops its own ident codes as there is no standard procedure for marking and identifying wiring. Interconnected cables are usually marked to indicate the location, proper termination, and use.

Most manufacturers mark the wires at intervals of not more than 15 inches lengthwise and within 3 inches of each junction or terminating point.

Coaxial cable and wires at terminal blocks and junction boxes are often identified by individual ferules or printing a wiring sleeve rather than the wire itself.

The label type suitable can vary depending on the technical requirements of the application, for general purpose wiring, the Legend Non-shrink tubing is a low-cost alternative to individual ferrules. As the tube is supplied blank, there are significant stock volume/cost benefits. When printed all the characters are in-line so stay in line. So, easier to read the ident. Once positioned, the label stays in place due to the special oval design, that grips the wire. Quick and easy to produce, printing 2 rolls at a time on Advanced/Professional levels yields approximatively 23,000 x 25mm labels on our 300m ribbon. One of our Distributors printed 25,000 labels in 4 hours!

For high-temperature applications, the Legend Heatshrink is a good option, available in Premium or LSZH and in roll or ladder format for ease of use. Where resistance to synthetic hydraulic fluids or other solvents is necessary Silver Fox can help advise what labelling & ribbon combination may be suitable.

In any system, the marking should be legible, and the sleeve colour should contrast with the colour of the wire insulation. For example, use a black text with a light-coloured background, or white print on dark-coloured backgrounds.

Silver Fox have been successfully supplying the Energy, Power, Rail and Data & Telecoms industries for over 30 years. Over the years we have come to appreciate how busy everyone can get, especially when there is a deadline closing in. We also understand how trivial and laborious cable labelling must seem in these busy times, but similarly how important the role it plays in these industries.

Silver Fox work hard to create time-saving solutions but sometimes, even a quick job can take too long, which is why we are offering to do the time-consuming work of printing labels for you.

We offer a wide range of materials and sizes, for the most challenging applications, from cable and wires, to patch panels, connection boxes and pipes. Once you order the labels, we can normally produce and deliver stock items quickly and reliably, so all you have to do is apply the label when you receive them.

Cable labelling may be a minor job in some eyes, but it is also an extremely important one. Incorrect or insufficient labelling can lead to unsafe workplaces and high maintenance repairs which can be time-consuming and costly. Using Silver Fox labelling solutions, which have been independently tested, you can be sure of the quality and durability of the product you’re receiving, eliminating the need for frequent ‘‘re-labelling’’ of cables – saving you both time and money.

Our pre-print service is also highly efficient for jobs with 500 labels or less! Using this method of printing will again save you time, and money. Simply order the labels, and we will print and send them to you. As soon as they arrive, you can immediately start your labelling – no need to fiddle about setting up or possibly buying, software and printers.

All it takes is one phone call or email, to let us know the label type and your requirements, and we’ll get straight to work, sending them out for delivery as soon as they’re ready. Even if you are unsure which labels would suit your job best, our team can help and advise you.

]]>https://www.silverfox.co.uk/too-busy-to-print-your-own-labels/feed/0Climbing the ladder to success!https://www.silverfox.co.uk/legend-ladder-heatshrink/
https://www.silverfox.co.uk/legend-ladder-heatshrink/#respondMon, 01 Apr 2019 08:20:09 +0000https://www.silverfox.co.uk/?p=10943The post Climbing the ladder to success! appeared first on Silver Fox.
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Climbing the ladder to success!

Setting aside BREXIT – the week ending March 29th has been a momentous week for us.

It’s taken 7 years of hard work and determination but now we are delighted to unveil our new ladder heatshrink made by Silver Fox at our factory in Welwyn Garden City! Like others within the range, the Legend Ladder Heatshrink is manufactured to offer a consistently high-grade heatshrink solution.

And all ready for exporting to the 75% of the global market place outside the European Union.

Legend Premium is offered in a 3:1 shrink ratio that means each size covers a wider range of cable diameters. It is also specially designed to have a lower shrink temperature, which in turn saves time when shrinking onto the cable.

The final printed label has been successfully tested for High/Low Temperature, Salt Mist Spray according to Lloyds Register Type Approval System. Although not designed as an external label, it has also been successfully tested for 3000 hours accelerated UV ageing.

Legend LSZH heatshrink is available in a 2:1 ratio and has been independently tested according to both BS EN45545-2 and UL224.

The Legend Ladder Heatshrink can also be printed via Fox-in-a-Box®. Still with our unique One Software, One Printer and One Ribbon for all our thermal label range.

CEO Nick Michaelson commented: “Getting our new machine to work the way we wanted and create this fantastic product has been a real challenge at every stage! Finally, we have achieved this milestone, which is now the only ladder heatshrink made in the UK by a UK owned company!”

]]>https://www.silverfox.co.uk/legend-ladder-heatshrink/feed/0Labelling…What’s in it for me?https://www.silverfox.co.uk/labelling-whats-in-it-for-me/
https://www.silverfox.co.uk/labelling-whats-in-it-for-me/#respondTue, 19 Mar 2019 15:44:17 +0000https://www.silverfox.co.uk/?p=10371The post Labelling…What’s in it for me? appeared first on Silver Fox.
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Labelling…What’s in it for me? Addressing the challenges in choosing labels for both client and contractor.

As Managing Director of UK cable labelling manufacturers Silver Fox, I argue that both client and contractor must pose themselves the key question of ‘What’s in it for me?’ when deciding on the type of labelling to choose.

There is little doubt that on many of the upcoming H2S contracts and projects, the labelling of wires and cables will not be high up on the food chain for many of those engineers involved. In a way, they are correct as the budgets for many of these projects will run into the hundreds of millions of pounds, with labelling only taking up a small fraction of these costs. There is also the misconception that all labels look much the same with either one company just as good as another or the common British business disease of stating:

“Well, we’ve always done it this way…”

However, both client and contractor must pose themselves a simple question before making a decision – that is:

“What’s in it for me?”

A contractor’s role is to do the job as quickly and efficiently as possible to a certain quality and standard. The client must maximise quality to minimise any ongoing maintenance. This often leads to conflict as contractors always like to use who they know.

For example, the client may specify to their contractor that they require ’Low Smoke, Zero Halogen’ (LSZH) labels. The client will be aware that if the labels have been independently tested and meet all Network Rail approvals then they can be confident of both consistent quality and reliability throughout the project – therefore that’s “What’s in it for them.”

Initially, the contractor may not think that ‘Low Smoke, Zero Halogen’ is that important or that the type of testing carried out by the supplier is vital to them or the project. They just want to get the labels bought and applied.

However, on closer inspection, but by thinking “What’s in it for me” during this process, they will know that labelling is the last part a project and with a happy client due to the quality and reliability being assured leads to low site maintenance. Therefore this then means the project can be signed off sooner leading to earlier invoicing.

Part two of the European standard; BS EN 45545-2 defines tighter requirements for the fire behaviour of materials and components including cables and cable Identification, ensuring necessary consistent safety standards are set across Europe’s railways.

The system has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 256 “Railway applications” on behalf of the European Commission and is based on the requirements of the EU Directive 2008/57/EC.

BS EN 45545-2 classifies all material on board in different groups, which must fulfil specific “Requirement Sets” which often include several test methods.

]]>https://www.silverfox.co.uk/bs-en-45545-2-certification/feed/0Why just go with the (Fox-)Flo?https://www.silverfox.co.uk/why-just-go-with-the-fox-flo/
https://www.silverfox.co.uk/why-just-go-with-the-fox-flo/#respondTue, 19 Feb 2019 15:41:39 +0000https://www.silverfox.co.uk/?p=9891The post Why just go with the (Fox-)Flo? appeared first on Silver Fox.
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Why just go with the (Fox-)Flo?

Differentiation is key in any business and any project. Categorising your cables by colour can assist you with your maintenance, tracking and repairs.

With this important aspect in mind, Silver Fox have added two new colours to our Fox-Flo® range.

Fox-Flo® is a special UV stable LSZH (Low Smoke, Zero-Halogen) material that has been developed to ensure the highest levels of durability.

Typical applications would be Rail/Metro and buildings where LSZH is part of the specification. It can also be used externally and in marine environments.

Colour Options for Fox-Flo® now include:

Orange (NEW)

Magenta (NEW)

Yellow

White

Red

Blue

Green/Yellow Stripes

All these colours can be printed with the Fox-in-a-Box® usingOne Software, One Printer, and One Ribbon. All manufactured in the UK, ensuring the highest quality standards; and have all been independently tested to ensure that they are suitable for their respective environments.

Test highlights for the Fox-Flo® include:

London Underground Limited Standard LUL1-085

Very high Oxygen Index levels

8000 hours successful NDT accelerated UV ageing

Salt Mist Spray according to Lloyds Register Type Approval System

AND THE NEW EN45545, setting product standards for fire, toxicity and smoke to ensure safety across Europe’s railways.

If you want to find out more about Fox-Flo®, or any of our other products and capabilities, please visit us at RAILTEX on stand N50 from the 14th-16th May, at the NEC Birmingham.

There is nothing “Basic” about our entry-level software!

Since 1997 Silver Fox has been implementing a continuous schedule of software development. Additionally, we often receive feedback from our engineering customer base across the globe, wherever possible we integrate these ideas into future releases. And in conjunction with our unique automated web update functionality, updates are available to all our users.

Depending on the level of software chosen these regular updates have included:

And many more…. all designed to make your work easier and more straightforward and save you time and frustration.

So, our thanks to all those engineers who have taken the time to assist us in this way. Today more than ever time savings are critical.

TIP – Time into Profit®

LICENCE AND SUPPORT FEES

There is a one-off license fee that is on a per-desk basis and free technical support is offered to all our customers.

UPGRADES

To protect your investment, should there be a need for higher levels of functionality, you can seamlessly upgrade to a higher level. To make this easy and cost-effective, the upgrade price is the current incremental cost between the levels, plus a small administration fee.

We offer a completely free entry-level version of the software which includes the following functionality:

Copy & Paste

Type information into Data Entry Box

Internal help videos

Integrated Context-sensitive help module

Create a sequence

Font – “Size to fit”

Fine tune print position on labels

Templates for all our Laser Labels

Also included is a free, 3-day trial for each level of the software. Users get the opportunity to trial each level of the software at any time they choose. Today, next week or next month. That’s 3 individual days trial for each level, 9 days in total!

Don’t Let Sour Gas ruin your visibility!

Silver Fox Endurance® External Grade Pipeline Identification Tape has been independently tested for Sour Gas, Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) showing no signs of discolouration. Available to BS1710 (BS4800), ISO 14726, AMSE (ANSI) 13.1 and in widths of 50mm, 100mm and 150mm, the Endurance® External Identification tape is one of the most durable ID tapes on the market.

Silver Fox Endurance® Labels have gone through an array of different independent testing.

MIL-STD – 202G Method 106G – Moisture Resistance

Successfully tested according to MIL-STD – 202G Method 106G for relative humidity. The test comprised of temperature cycling between 25ºC and 65ºC with 80% to 100% relative humidity. There were also five excursions to -10ºC with uncontrolled humidity. The test took places over ten cycles of 24 hours, following 24 hours of pre-conditioning at 50ºC.

MIL-STD – 202G Method 108A – Life at Elevated Temperature

Successfully tested according to MIL-STD – 202G Method 108A for high-temperature performance. Testing took place for 1000 hours at a constant 85°C.

MIL-STD – 810F Method 502.4 – Low Temperature -40°C

Successfully tested according to MIL-STD – 810F Method 502.4 (Procedure I – Storage) for low-temperature performance. Testing took place for periods of 24, 48 and 72 hours at -40ºC.

IEC60068 – 2 – 52 Test kb Salt Mist (Cyclic)

Successfully according to IEC60068 – 2 – 52 Test kb Salt Mist (Cyclic). The test comprised two hours exposure to salt mist, followed by seven days at 35°C, with 90% to 95% relative humidity. Four cycles were repeated in succession over a total of 28 days.

H2S Exposure (Sour Ageing)

Independently, and successfully – subjected to an aggressive environment containing hydrogen sulphide. The exposure was designed to accelerate any potential degradation of the labels. Samples of labels were exposed to a gas mixture containing 2% hydrogen sulphide (H2S) at 10 bar and 30ºC for seven days. The exposure represented a huge acceleration factor based on the allowable working limits of eight hours at 10ppm H2S – an environment in which the labels would be expected to remain unchanged for considerably longer than 50 years.

UV Weathering – ISO 4982 Part 3 Method A Cycle 1

Testing was performed to ISO 4892 part 3 method A cycle 1. This is a fluorescent tube UV weathering test using a QUV weathering tester. This is probably the most widely used UV weathering tester in the world. The test involves an 8 hr. cycle of intense UV at 60°C, followed by a 4 hour period of condensation at 50°C. The condensation is produced by heating a water pan in the base of the machine, producing evaporation; this causes condensation of purified water on the samples which are mounted at an angle above the pan. This is important in the degradation process in that it assists in the propagation of cracks and in the case of self-adhesive labels, will also encourage disbonding.

The independent testing house that performed the UV Weathering test has stated that their testing experience has shown that typical ISO 4892-3 testing probably has an acceleration factor of around 10-20 times real life for a northern European climate.

There are many factors and variables which can affect the equivalents such as angle of the sample to the sun, shading, temperature and localised pollution effects etc. These figures give no guarantee or warranty but they do serve to give a rough indication of the correlation between testing and real-world conditions.

The ISO 4892 part 2 method A cycle 1 UV weathering test was chosen as this one of the most widely recognised UV weathering test standards in the world.

Wherever possible, Silver Fox tests the finished printed label, not just the material.

]]>https://www.silverfox.co.uk/dont-let-sour-gas-ruin-your-visibility/feed/0To be (in the EU) or not to be (in the EU)?https://www.silverfox.co.uk/to-be-in-the-eu-or-not-to-be-in-the-eu/
https://www.silverfox.co.uk/to-be-in-the-eu-or-not-to-be-in-the-eu/#respondTue, 22 Jan 2019 14:58:38 +0000https://www.silverfox.co.uk/?p=9183To be (in the EU) or not to be (in the EU)? While the ruling UK Government suffered the biggest defeat of any government, seemingly in the History of our Parliament. Subsequently, the whole of the UK is in total political turmoil, the likes of which have never been known, at Silver Fox, we, together […]

While the ruling UK Government suffered the biggest defeat of any government, seemingly in the History of our Parliament. Subsequently, the whole of the UK is in total political turmoil, the likes of which have never been known, at Silver Fox, we, together with the rest of the business world are getting on with Business!

Yesterday for example, on the very day of this historic defeat, we were in the final stages of commissioning 2 new machines. These machines will allow us to strengthen and grow our exports across the globe! Here at Silver Fox we are planning for and working towards a strong future.

]]>https://www.silverfox.co.uk/to-be-in-the-eu-or-not-to-be-in-the-eu/feed/010 Year Challengehttps://www.silverfox.co.uk/10-year-challenge/
https://www.silverfox.co.uk/10-year-challenge/#respondTue, 22 Jan 2019 14:25:03 +0000https://www.silverfox.co.uk/?p=915110 Year Challenge It seems as though everyone is taking part in the “10-year challenge” on Social Media this week. So we thought it was only right that Silver Fox took part too! In the past 10 years the appearance of our Labacus® software has changed quite a bit but along with aesthetic improvements we […]

It seems as though everyone is taking part in the “10-year challenge” on Social Media this week. So we thought it was only right that Silver Fox took part too!

In the past 10 years the appearance of our Labacus® software has changed quite a bit but along with aesthetic improvements we have also made many improvements to the software itself using feedback from our customers.

In the past 10 years our customers have benefited from the following improvements:

All of these benefits have been included in our free software updates and our customers also receive free technical support without an annual licence fee. Once you purchase the software you are protected from any additional costs unless you chose to upgrade and even then there is only a small administration fee on top of the incremental difference in the price of the software.